A NINE-YEAR-OLD Loughborough school girl will be saying goodbye to her long red locks following the death of her great grandma in a bid to help those facing cancer.

Paige Partridge, of Carnation Road, has made the brave decision to face the chop so she can help not one, but two charities.

The Stonebow Primary School pupil is asking for sponsors as she proposes to have her hair, which is currently around eight inches long, cut to just below her chin.

The money Paige raises will go to Cancer Research UK and the hair she has cut off will go to The Little Princess Trust - a charity that provides real hair wigs, free of charge, to boys and girls across the UK and Ireland that have lost their own hair through cancer treatment.

Paige’s mum, Gemma, told the Echo why the thoughtful youngster decided she wanted to help those battling cancer.

Gemma said: “She’s wanted to do this for a long time because of my grandma, and her great grandma, Dora.

“She had cancer three times, first in her face in her forties, then she had to have a double mastectomy later on in life.

“It came back and she died on Christmas day in 2015, the day before her birthday.

“Paige is very grown up about it and knows what happens, she knew she was very poorly.

“She was close to her grandma, who always used to call her ‘my little sunflower’.

She continued: “Then a friend of mine has not long recovered from cancer and she’s lost her hair through treatment.

“I tried to explain to Paige about losing the hair and how people have to wear wigs and we got talking about how it can happen to little girls and boys.

“She was so sympathetic and she came up with the idea of cutting her hair in her grandma’s memory.”

Gemma told the Echo she is incredibly proud of her daughter and knows her grandma would be too.

She said: “I’m proud, so proud. It’s such a big decision for a girl of her age.

“She’s been talking about sponsors at school to her friends and teachers and in assembly.

“She’s even told people ‘you don’t have to donate, only if you want to!’

“My grandma would be over the moon with her little sunflower, as are all my family.”

Paige is set to have her hair cut at Hair Magic for her tenth birthday in May and is hoping to beat her target of £1,000.

A justgiving page for Paige’s haircut has been started and Gemma says people can also donate at The Three Nuns pub.